Import Draft

The Seattle Thunderbirds make selections in the annual CHL Import Draft which is held, in most instances, on the Tuesday or Wednesday after the NHL Entry Draft in late June. In 2018 the Import Draft takes place Thursday, June 28, and starts at 8am Pacific time.

The Western Hockey League (WHL), along with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), take part in the Import Draft.

An Import Player is defined as a player whose parent(s) do not reside in Canada or the United States as of January 11 preceding that year’s CHL Import Draft. If a CHL club has no Import Players, they are eligible to draft two Import Players, if they have one import, they are allowed to draft one, and if they have two Import Players they are not eligible to participate in the draft.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) cares about your privacy. Thank you for your interest in our network of websites, newsletters, and other services. We believe in fully disclosing the methods to which we collect and use your personal information. We also invite you to ask us about our policies or feel free to let us know how we can better serve your privacy concerns.